Chapter One:

Mara dodged, but the fireball caught her side. Pain shot up her side. Her ribs seared and she found herself gasping for breath. This wasn't the first time she had been randomly attacked at class. Still, it began to feel normal. She just wished she could fight through this better.

A flash of light, a beautiful flash of light - and the monster disappeared.

She stumbled backwards, pushing her elbows against the ground and trying to scramble away from the people who had saved her.

They were people, sure enough. One of them held a bronze knife, and the other a long sword.

The girl, the one holding the knife, held it at a peaceful angle, offering Mara a hand. "Hey there."

Mara brushed off her hands and took the other girl's hand, standing up quietly.

"Do you understand what is going on?" the girl asked.

"No," Mara replied bluntly, wincing slightly when her side throbbed, making it near impossible to stand. "But I'm used to it. I get attacked everywhere I go now."

"How old are you, Mara?" she asked.

Mara frowned, realizing the girl and the boy both knew her name and about her, but she didn't know anything about them. She didn't question it, though. She replied, "I am fourteen. I turn fifteen in two months."

"Can you read that sign over there?" asked the girl, indicating the whiteboard.

Mara squinted at it. "Um...it says something like: Matah...no, math home...homework...uh, page...314? No, page 413? I'm not sure. I'm mildly dyslexic."

"Alright, you should come with us. I'm Annabeth. This is Percy," She started to walk away without explanation, pulling her long blonde hair up in to a messy bun.

Percy told Mara, "Come on. We'll take you somewhere safe." He rose his voice, looking at someone who was standing past her shoulder. "Come on, Quinn!"

One of her best friends, one of her only friends, sprinted over to her, his curly hair bouncing. "Hey, Percy. Hi, Annabeth."

"Good job, Quinn," Annabeth told him, standing at a riverboat ferry. "Percy, will you get us a ride?"

"Sure, no problem." He walked to the water's edge, looking at the pure blue.

"Quinn, what is going on?" asked Mara, confused.

Quinn put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be scared, Mara. We'll explain everything once we get to camp."

She sighed softly, not looking at him. She looked at her pale hands. Mara was normal. Her hands were made for playing instruments, long fingered and thin. She had long, thin arms, muscular, runners legs, a thin teenager's body. She wasn't pretty, but she was likable. She sighed again, wondering what was going on. These kids seemed very nice. Why else would someone bother her? Nobody liked her anyway.

"We're here," Percy said suddenly.

Mara frowned, stepping off the boat unsteadily. "That was quick. Where are we?"

"Long Beach. New York," said Annabeth. "Come on, we have to go see Chiron." Her expression relaxed in to a friendly smile. "Don't worry, Mara. Normally we would not have picked you up, and Quinn would've brought you, but we were on route anyway, and Grover wanted us to check up on Quinn."

Mara shrugged; none of it made sense anyway.

"Chiron, this is Mara Martin. She's a half-blood, obviously. I'm thinking probably of Hermes, Hephaestus, or Apollo." Annabeth introduced her to an older man in a wheelchair.

"Greetings, Mara," Chiron said warmly. "I'm Chiron. I am the activities director. This is Mr. D. He is the camp director."

Mr. D gave her a bored nod. "Hello, Marie."

"Sorry, sir, it's uh...It's Mara. Not Marie."

"Fine...Marie Marley."

Mara looked at Annabeth who gave her a gentle smile. She shrugged it off, deciding not to push the issue with this strange man.

"Mara, how much do you know about half-blood camp?" asked Chiron, softly.

"N-nothing," she stuttered.

Chiron frowned at Percy and Annabeth, and then glanced at Quinn. "You didn't tell her?"

"I will," Quinn said slowly, taking a deep, hopeful breath. He brushed off his hat and kicked off his shoes and then...kicked off his feet. Revealing hooves.

"You're a donkey?" Mara said, backing up, looking frightened.

"Satyr!" cried Quinn. "Not a donkey. Satyr. Like in Greek mythology? It's all real, Mara. Percy, Annabeth, and all the kids here are half-bloods. Half human."

"What's the other half?" Mara asked, her voice shrill with something like fear.

"I think you know. You're a half-blood." Quinn took her hand. "Trust me, Mara. It's all okay. Why do you think monsters have chased you your entire life? You're finally safe here."

"Half...satyr? I don't have hooves!"

"No, I don't mean just satyrs!" Quinn said, almost snappishly, growing a little nervous.

Chiron stood up with a gentle smile. The wheelchair disappeared, and Chiron grew very tall. But legs weren't underneath him...Underneath him was a horse's body.

"Centaur?"

"Stupid child," muttered Mr. D.

Flushing with indignation and embarrassment, Mara avoided Mr. D's gaze. "Half-blood. Half..."

"Half-god. The Greek gods are real, Mara," Chiron was soft and gentle, looking down at Mara with a kind expression.

Mara backed away. "No. No, it can't be." she turned towards Percy and Annabeth.

"My mother is Athena," Annabeth told her.

Mara looked at the stormy gray eyes of Annabeth, and turned to see Percy's sea green eyes. "Poseidon," she said softly to him.

A kind smile crossed the older boy's face. "Yes. Do you remember the other gods?"

"Zeus, Hera, Artemis, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Dionysus..."

"What?" Mr. D snapped, snapping up from a card game.

Her eyes widened. "Mr. D, you're...you're...Dionysus?"

He grew surly. "Yes. Why don't you go away, kid? You're beginning to bug me."

Chiron patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, Mara. You'll get used to it. For now, you'll stay in the Hermes cabin. Annabeth, show Mara around please."

Mara quietly followed the older girl. "Which god is my parent?" she asked.

"We won't know until you are claimed," replied Annabeth softly. "That could take a couple minutes, days, or weeks. Percy talked his father, Poseidon, and his uncle, Zeus, in to agreeing to claim their children within a week. It won't take too long."

"I'm scared. Mr. D..."

"Was just being mean. You're older than most first years, so you're more used to your life. Their lives are more changeable than yours." Annabeth indicated the first cabin. "Zeus. Next is Poseidon's. Apollo's. Ares's. Aphrodite's. Hephaestus. Artemis and Hera's are empty, since they have no children. Maiden goddesses. I suppose they were given those for recognition."

Mara nodded. Slowly and surely, she was shown throughout camp. There were several kids, younger and older than she. Playing volleyball on the beach. Sitting near a small fire and talking. Sword fighting. That would be helpful for fighting the monsters she constantly ran in to.

"I want to learn how to sword fight. And shoot bows!" said Mara eagerly.

"You might be Apollo's girl. Or Ares's. You seem too nice though."

"What's over there?" she asked, indicating a large garage.

"The shop. Metals, woods, construction, you know. Things Hephaestus kids do."

"Fun," Mara said, her eyes wide. "Wow."

There was a loud conch horn. "Dinner," Annabeth said. "You can eat with me. I'll be eating with Percy and Tyson."

She sat down next to the large kid called Tyson. Slowly, she managed to look up at Tyson's huge face. In the middle, was one, big eye. She screamed, falling backwards awkwardly. Half the camp started laughing.

Tyson offered her a hand.

"I...I...I'm sorry," she stammered, taking it and standing up. "I...I've never seen a...a Cyclops before, Tyson."

Tyson smiled. A warm, friendly, boyish smile. "Don't worry. I've gotten worst reactions."

Mara stood up, flushing when she realized everyone was still laughing. She refused to meet their glances.

"Stop laughing!" snapped somebody. She didn't recognize him. He was tall, strong, with dark green eyes and light red hair. "She's a first year. Why don't you go pick on someone else?"

Silence fell through the camp, which wasn't very surprising. He seemed like a natural leader. He was obviously one of the older kids.

Chiron gave the boy an approving nod. Mara met his gaze, and then, still blushing, sat down, looking at her table mates, who had thankfully not laughed.

Percy smiled warmly. "Of course everyone stopped laughing. That kid is Erik. He is from the Ares cabin."

Mara nodded. She looked at her plate, and it was surprisingly filled with the most delicious foods. She cautiously drank her apple juice, smiling when it touched her tongue. Perfect and cold.

"Save some. As an offering and thanks to your parent," Annabeth said, standing up and brushing some food in to the fire. Percy followed.

Mara stood up to following. She brushed off a piece of pizza. Looking up at the sky as the smoke traveled up, she thought, Please, my parent. Enjoy. I wish I could know you.

Annabeth took her to the Hermes cabin. There were four other kids, three boys and a girl. Mara shook hands with each of them. Will, Liam, Chris, and Liana.

"Mara," she said, trying not to blush at the memory of falling backwards. She wondered if they had been laughing.

If they had, none of them laughed now. They all sent kind smiles. "Well, if you'd like to sleep now, curfew is in half an hour. Tomorrow is Friday!" said Chris cheerfully.

Mara lied down on the bottom bunk, quietly. Before she fell asleep, she whispered, "Please...I want to know who you are. Parent."